Go to new heights with DJI’s new Mavic 3 drone
As promised, DJI has been busy releasing a trifecta of incredible new products. First up was the Ronin 4D cinema camera, followed up by the modular DJI Action 2 action camera. Now, we finally have DJI’s flagship cinema drone: the Mavic 3.
This drone is built for filmmakers who want to extend their creative possibilities further than ever. It’s packed with features that improve its image capture, flight time, and spatial awareness, allowing it to record stunning footage in any location for longer than ever before. Let’s take a look at this phenomenal drone from DJI!
Two is better than one
The DJI Mavic 3 drone is blessed with both a Hasselblad and a Tele camera to increase your shooting options. The main L2D-20C camera is purpose-built by Hasselblad and features a 4/3 CMOS sensor, an adjustable aperture that ranges from f/2.8 to f/11, 12.8 stops of dynamic range, and DJI’s vision detection autofocus technology for ActiveTrack 5.0. The 20-megapixel sensor offers crisp stills and films at up to 5.1K/50fps. For high frame rate recording, the drone captures up to 4K/120fps (both standard and DCI formats) and FHD/200fps video. The standard version of the drone records 10-bit D-log for up to 1 billion colours, whilst the cine version records Apple’s ProRes 422 HQ.
The secondary camera has a 1/2-inch CMOS 12 megapixel sensor which offers up to 28x hybrid zoom, allowing you to scout your locations from a further distance or record subjects without disturbing them. It is limited in capacity, only shooting up to 4K/30fps, but close-up shots aren’t usually the priority for drone operators. It remains to be seen how useful this extra camera will be.
All up, this drone is a content creator’s dream, but certainly records a lot of data. Thankfully DJI has you covered: the Mavic 3 supports a built-in 1TB SSD, and you can quickly offload the data with the 10Gbps accessory cable.
Easier, safer and longer flying
The Mavic 3 drone is equipped with an omnidirectional binocular vision system with a range of up to 25 metres. Combined with an infrared sensor on the underside, the drone senses obstacles while you fly and plans safe, collision-free routes. This feature, called APAS 5.0, should be fantastic for shooting in locations such as a forest: the drone will simply find the best and safest way to move in the direction you want it to, automatically avoiding trunks and branches. This auto-sensing feature already existed in the Mavic Air 2S, but it should be greatly improved in the Mavic 3.
In addition, the drone uses this technology in DJI’s most advanced Return To Home feature, letting the drone find the quickest and most efficient path home.
To support all these sensors, DJI has increased the capacity of the Mavic 3’s battery to a huge 5,000 mAh. Together with more energy-efficient motors and propellers, and a 35% decrease in wind resistance, the drone can fly for up to 46 minutes on a single charge. The extended flight time is a great development as it lets you create your flight path, line up your shots and record footage, all without landing your drone.
Wireless connectivity like never before
DJI’s Mavic 3 drone features a new 03+ transmission system which has a range of 15 kilometres. It increases transmission stability while reducing lag, even when transmitting a 1080p /60fps live feed. Having this high a frame rate in a live feed means that what you see on your monitor will be closer to what the drone is recording, as well as making it more responsive. The drone can also transmit over a 4G cellular network (with a separate dongle), which you’ll find useful in locations where WiFi signals get easily blocked. To download your footage wirelessly, the Mavic 3 offers WiFi 6 QuickTransfer, giving you speeds of up to 80mb/s.
Accessories
It makes sense to release some pro-level accessories with a flagship drone like the Mavic 3, and DJI has done just that. The most attention-grabbing one is the new DJI RC Pro. It features a bright 1,000 nit screen, a new high-performance processor, and a battery life of up to 6 hours. Alongside this, there is a 10 gigabyte per second data cable, a 65W portable charger, a 108° wide-angle lens, a Darth Vader-esque storage cover, a carrying bag, and a new set of ND filters.
With the Mavic 3, DJI has truly set a new standard for drones. The Mavic 3 looks to be the best cinema-quality drone available, and we can’t wait to be able to see it in person!
As always, we do stock up the full range of the Mavic 3 product lines and these will be available from mid-November. So if you are interested, pre-order your unit now.
